MASS EFFECT’S MARK “COMMANDER SHEPARD'' MEER ON THE ART OF VIDEO GAME ACTING, WHICH HOLLYWOOD STAR LOVES COSPLAY AS MUCH AS HE DOES, AND THE MOST IMPORTANT CONCEPTS FOR EXCELLING AT IMPROV (MF GALAXY 137)

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GOING TO CONS IN COSTUME, WHICH CHARACTERS ARE HIS FAVOURITES FOR COSPLAY, WHY IMPROV IS SO VALUABLE FOR ANY ACTOR BUT ESPECIALLY FOR VIDEO GAME WORK

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 Mark Meer is possibly the most affable fellow in showbiz. He’s a terrific stage actor, voice artist, and improviser, and I’ve known him since we were both cartoonists at university and worked together in the sketch comedy troupe The 11:02 Show. He’s best known as the voice of Commander Shepard from BioWare’s Mass Effect trilogy and has done other video games including Gods of Rome and Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced.

 And he’s not just someone whom fans love—he’s a fanboy himself, and attended numerous conventions in costume. He’s literally a pro at cons. He’s also appeared in short films such as Tar Zombies Barbecued and Flight of the Polar Bear; and he’s been a stalwart of the Edmonton theatre community for decades in ongoing longform improv such as Die-Nasty! and Gordon’s Big Bald Head. And if that weren’t enough, many radio listeners in Canada and the US know him as one of the actors in The Irrelevant Show.

 In today’s episode of MF GALAXY, Mark Meer and I discuss:
  • How video game acting differs from other types of acting
  • Why there is no definitive version of Mass Effect’s Commander Shepard
  • Why improv is so valuable for any actor but especially for video game work
  • The most important concepts one must internalise to excel at improv
  • How he gets such outstanding costumes to wear to conventions, which characters are his favourites for cosplay, and which friend and Hollywood star loves cosplay as much as he does
We spoke at Meer’s home in Edmonton’s theatre-arts district on July 4, 2017.

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